Dual frequency ultrasound transducer including an ultrahigh frequency transducer stack and a low frequency ultrasound transducer stack
First Claim
1. A dual frequency ultrasound transducer having a low frequency (LF) ultrasound transducer positioned behind a high frequency (HF) transducer array such that they both share a common acoustic axis and including a dampening layer disposed between a front face of the low frequency transducer and a rear face of the high frequency transducer array for reducing inter-stack multipath reflections, wherein the dampening layer has attenuation properties that increase non-linearly with increasing frequency;
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Accused Products
Abstract
A dual frequency ultrasound transducer includes a high frequency ultrasound array and a low frequency transducer positioned behind or proximal to the high frequency ultrasound array. In one embodiment, a dampening material is positioned between a rear surface of the high frequency array and the a front surface of the low frequency array. The dampening preferably is high absorbing of signals at the frequency of the high frequency array but passes signals at the frequency of the low frequency transducer with little attenuation. In additional, or alternatively, the low frequency can angled with respect to the plane of the high frequency transducer to reduce inter-stack multipath reflections. Beamforming delays compensate for the differences in physical distances between the elements of the low frequency transducer and the plane of the high frequency transducer.
15 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A dual frequency ultrasound transducer having a low frequency (LF) ultrasound transducer positioned behind a high frequency (HF) transducer array such that they both share a common acoustic axis and including a dampening layer disposed between a front face of the low frequency transducer and a rear face of the high frequency transducer array for reducing inter-stack multipath reflections, wherein the dampening layer has attenuation properties that increase non-linearly with increasing frequency;
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wherein the dampening layer exhibits acoustic attenuation of about 2-4 dB/cm at about 2 MHz, and the dampening layer exhibits acoustic attenuation of at least 10 dB/mm at about 30 MHz. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A dual frequency array comprising:
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a low frequency (LF) 1D, 1.5D, or 2D array positioned behind a high frequency (HF) array such that the LF array is rotated in one or more of roll and pitch such that a first axis normal to a front face of the HF transducer is not parallel with a second axis normal to a front face of the LF transducer; and a beam former configured to adjust a direction of transmit and receive beams of the LF array such that the LF and HF arrays beams both share a common acoustic axis. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A dual frequency ultrasound array comprising:
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a low frequency (LF) array positioned behind a high frequency (HF) array such that the LF array is rotated in one or more of roll and pitch such that a first axis normal to a front face of the HF transducer is not parallel with a second axis normal to a front face of the LF transducer; a beam former configured to adjust a direction of transmit and receive beams of the LF array such that the LF and HF arrays beams both share a common acoustic axis; and an intermediate layer positioned between the LF array and HF array having attenuation properties that increase non-linearly with increasing frequency; wherein the intermediate layer exhibits acoustic attenuation of about 2-4 dB/cm at about 2 MHz, and the intermediate layer exhibits acoustic attenuation of at least 10 dB/mm at about 30 MHz.
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11. A dual frequency array comprising:
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a low frequency transducer positioned behind a high frequency array such that the low and high frequency arrays both share a substantially common acoustic axis; an intermediate layer positioned between the low and high frequency array having attenuation properties that increase non-linearly with increasing frequency; and an acoustic lens that is common to both the low and high frequency arrays; wherein the intermediate layer exhibits acoustic attenuation of about 2-4 dB/cm at about 2 MHz, and the intermediate layer exhibits acoustic attenuation of at least 10 dB/mm at about 30 MHz.
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12. A dual frequency array comprising:
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a low frequency (LF) transducer positioned behind a high frequency (HF) transducer such that the LF transducer is rotated in one or more of roll and pitch such that a first axis normal to a front face of the HF transducer is not parallel with a second axis normal to a front face of the LF transducer; and a beam former configured to adjust beams transmitted by the LF transducer for the offset set in roll and/or pitch.
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Specification